…as fugitive politician allegedly flees back to Israel
Moorosi Tsiane
THE hunt for fugitive Basotho Covenant Movement (BCM) leader, Dr Tšepo Lipholo, continues, with the treason-accused politician allegedly having returned to Israel after making a surprise appearance at his virtual inauguration as King of Basutoland in Bloemfontein, South Africa, last Saturday.
Dr Lipholo, who is accused of conspiring to overthrow the government of King Letsie III, is believed to have returned to Israel after spending nearly two weeks in South Africa.
However, the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS) says it is still searching for him and has no confirmed information about his whereabouts.
LMPS spokesperson, Superintendent Thabo Mohai, told the Lesotho Times yesterday that the police were still looking for Dr Lipholo and were unaware that he had been in South Africa over the weekend.
“We are still in search of him. For now, we do not know where he is. We still have his warrant of arrest, and there is not much I can say about this issue. In fact, I shouldn’t be discussing this beyond that we are still searching for him,” Supt Mohai said.
However, South African Home Affairs records seen by this publication show that Dr Lipholo arrived in South Africa from Israel on 13 October 2026 aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET859 at around 5am.
He allegedly left South Africa on 26 October aboard the same airline, reportedly bound for Ethiopia. A source said he was believed to have intended to connect through Ethiopia before returning to Israel, where he had previously attended the International Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem.
His alleged return to Israel has renewed questions about his whereabouts after he reportedly appeared virtually at a ceremony in Bloemfontein last Saturday, where his supporters inaugurated him as King of Basutoland.
Dr Lipholo claims that Basutoland’s territory extended beyond Lesotho’s present borders before independence in 1966, encompassing parts of South Africa’s Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.
BCM Youth League president, Maweshi Maroibaki, previously confirmed to the Lesotho Times that Dr Lipholo was in Israel after police reportedly searched for him at his Qoaling home on 6 October 2026.
The latest developments follow controversy over how Dr Lipholo, who was out on bail, travelled abroad despite having been barred from travelling abroad as part of his bail conditions.
Earlier this month, he allegedly obtained his ordinary passport from the police on the understanding that he intended to travel to neighbouring South Africa for medical consultations.
Police were subsequently reported to have been surprised to learn that he had travelled to Israel to attend the International Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem.
Officers later raided his Qoaling homestead in search of him but were reportedly told by his family that he was still in hospital in Bloemfontein. Mr Maroibaki, however, confirmed that the BCM leader was in Israel at the time.
Dr Lipholo allegedly travelled to Israel on 4 October 2026 after crossing into South Africa through the Ficksburg border post on the same day. This was while his High Court application seeking permission to travel to Israel remained pending.
In an application filed on 16 September 2026, he asked the High Court to review and set aside a decision by Chief of Police Advocate Borotho Matsoso refusing to temporarily release his ordinary passport for the trip.
Adv Matsoso and Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Lehlanako Mofilikoane were cited as the first and second respondents, respectively.
Dr Lipholo also sought an order compelling the police chief to release his passport for the period between 1 and 12 October 2026.
In his founding affidavit, he said he had received a high-profile invitation to attend the summit in Jerusalem from 5 to 11 October.
“As a serving Member of the National Assembly of Lesotho (the 11th Parliament) and leader of the BCM, I have active legislative and public responsibilities.
“I received a formal, high-profile invitation to attend and participate as a VIP Guest Speaker at the International Ambassadors Summit in Jerusalem, Israel, running from 5 to 11 of October 2026,” he said.
Dr Lipholo said Adv Matsoso had refused his request for the temporary release of his passport.
Mr Maroibaki, however, offered a different account, claiming that Dr Lipholo had presented his invitation to the police chief and sought permission to travel, which he said had been granted.
The BCM leader has also defended his movements, with Mr Maroibaki claiming that Dr Lipholo had reported to the police by telephone after arriving in Israel.
“How did he violate the bail conditions when he reported about his trip?” Mr Maroibaki asked.
Dr Lipholo was arrested on 4 July 2025 at his Qoaling home by heavily armed soldiers and members of the police Special Operations Unit (SOU).
He was initially charged with sedition, human trafficking and insulting the Royal Family. On 11 August 2025, the State added a treason charge, accusing him of conspiring with others to overthrow the government of King Letsie III.
The Crown alleges that Dr Lipholo recruited young men for military training on farms in South Africa and sought foreign support for what it describes as a planned uprising against the state. South African intelligence structures and police have reportedly said they found no evidence to support the allegations.
High Court Judge Fumane Khabo denied Dr Lipholo bail on 28 August 2025, citing him as a flight risk.
He was subsequently granted bail by another High Court judge, ’Maliepollo Makhetha, on 8 December 2025. The court set bail at M10 000, with a surety of M100 000, after taking his deteriorating health into account.
As part of his bail conditions, Dr Lipholo surrendered his diplomatic and ordinary passports to the police.
His trial has repeatedly failed to commence because, according to reports from court proceedings, the State had not furnished his lawyers with a complete docket.
Attempts to obtain comment from Dr Lipholo and Mr Maroibaki were unsuccessful, as their mobile phones could not be reached.
